The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) is proud to care for the communities of West Essex, delivering safe, compassionate, and high-quality services. We are part of the Neighbourhood Wavea national programme that’s changing how care is delivered by focusing on prevention, early support, and more joined-up services across health, social care, and the voluntary sector.
This means we’re working more closely with local partners to bring care closer to home and support people to live healthier, more independent lives.
We’re a supportive and inclusive organisation that values its people. We offer development opportunities, flexible working, and a strong focus on wellbeing. As a Disability Confident and equal opportunities employer, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences.
Join us and help shape the future of care in West Essex.
Main duties of the job
* Support the Head of Safeguarding and Vulnerable People to ensure the Trust meets all statutory and regulatory safeguarding requirements, including compliance with the Children Act 2004, Care Act 2014, CQC standards, and local safeguarding partnerships.
* Provide specialist safeguarding advice and visible leadership across the Trust, promoting safeguarding responsibilities for all staff.
* Develop and maintain a strong safeguarding culture, offering expert guidance on complex cases involving vulnerable children and adults.
* Lead the implementation of the Trust’s Safeguarding Supervision Policy and ensure supervision is delivered effectively across all relevant staff groups.
* Work collaboratively with the Named Doctor, safeguarding team, and other professionals to provide high-level advice and support.
* Deliver safeguarding training to health professionals and multi-agency groups, evaluating and adapting programmes as needed.
* Represent the Trust at child protection conferences, multi-agency meetings, and safeguarding boards, ensuring effective partnership working.
* Contribute to audits, internal reviews, and safeguarding practice reviews, providing quarterly and annual reports to senior leadership.
* Ensure safeguarding policies and procedures are current, disseminated, and implemented consistently across the organisation.
* Provide support and advice to staff on safeguarding issues such as domestic abuse, family breakdown, substance misuse, disability, and mental health.
* Act as a specialist resource, interpreting legislation and guidance, and advising on legal processes including court attendance and statement preparation.
* Maintain up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding legislation, policy, and evidence-based practice, and contribute to service development and research initiatives.
Are you passionate about protecting children and ensuring the highest standards of care?
We are seeking an experienced and dedicated professional to lead our Safeguarding Children Team. This is a pivotal role in promoting child protection and supporting staff across the Trust.
Key Responsibilities:
* Lead the safeguarding children team in assessing needs, developing care plans, and monitoring effectiveness.
* Provide expert safeguarding advice and support to staff managing potential or actual child abuse cases.
* Act as a liaison with local agencies and contribute to the Child Protection Service across Essex.
* Deliver specialist safeguarding training to empower staff to recognize, respond, and report concerns.
* Maintain professional standards in line with the NMC Code and ensure accurate documentation using our Electronic Patient Record system.
* Work closely with children, young people, families, and carers to provide individualized, patient-centered care.
What We’re Looking For:
* Registered Nurse or Midwife with current NMC registration.
* Significant experience in safeguarding children within a healthcare setting.
* Strong leadership, communication, and multi-disciplinary team working skills.
* Ability to deliver training and influence best practice across the organization.
Why Join Us?
At The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, you’ll be part of a supportive team committed to excellence in safeguarding and patient care. We offer ongoing professional development and the opportunity to make a real difference in protecting vulnerable children.
Responsibilities
* Work closely with Designated and Named Professionals to provide a highly developed specialist safeguarding advisory service for the Trust.
* Develop and maintain a network of safeguarding professionals to ensure quality advice and support is available when required.
* Operate within the clinical governance framework, ensuring standard setting, auditing, policy development, and risk management meet Care Quality Commission requirements.
* Undertake regular audits, analyse findings, and share results to inform practice and service improvement.
* Provide safeguarding supervision to mandatory staff groups (e.g., paediatric and midwifery teams) and ensure compliance with supervision policies.
* Participate in internal reviews and safeguarding practice reviews, contributing to learning and improvement.
* Ensure adherence to the NMC Code of Professional Conduct and maintain professional standards.
* Develop and implement the Trust’s safeguarding training strategy in line with the Intercollegiate Document (2025), delivering and evaluating training for health and multi-agency professionals.
* Advise on recommendations from Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews and support dissemination and implementation of learning.
* Embed safeguarding responsibilities within all services and developments, ensuring compliance with national frameworks such as Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023).
* Promote best practice and foster an environment that supports change and improvement.
* Maintain up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding legislation, policy, and evidence-based practice, acting as a specialist resource for staff.
* Contribute to research, service evaluation, and policy development, ensuring the ‘Voice of the Child’ and anti-discriminatory practice are central to safeguarding work.
* Represent the Trust at child protection conferences, multi-agency meetings, and safeguarding boards as required.
* Provide expert advice and support on safeguarding matters, including legal processes, court attendance, and statement preparation.